After two years grieving the death of his best friend, Silas Franklin is back on the road with his metalcore band, Hush. With a new member, a brilliant new album, and a headlining spot on the last cross-country Warped Tour, life couldn’t be better—unless Silas could meet the intriguing music blogger known only as the Guru. Silas has followed his blog for years and feels the Guru might be the only … only person who “gets” him.
For years Krishnan Guruvayoor has reported on the metal scene as an anonymous blogger, and he’s just landed an internship on the Warped Tour as well as a potential position with a well-respected music magazine. His best friend arranges for him to meet singer Silas Franklin—but only as Krish the Intern. Their chemistry is instant, and Krish is thrilled to get to know the man behind the music.
The rock star and blogger quickly go from meet-cute to cuddle session, but secrets, overprotective bandmates, meddling media, and a terrible accident all conspire against them. Can their romance survive the summer of Hush?
more
This book offers an interesting behind the scenes of rock band life,which in this case was not as crazy as I would of expected it. The most messy the members of Hush get is not cleaning after themselves in the bus they use while on tour. And they were all fun to know,with a bit of their back stories,the group dynamic and shenanigans.
A word often used in the story is fate. Because fate seems to have had a lot to do with the way Hush was formed and with some of the events in the band’s existence.
Krish and Silas definitely appear to be fated to meet. I found their history of keeping track of each other’s movements through the years captivating. It’s no wonder how strong a connection they have from the moment they touch for the first time. I’ve got to say,they are so cute together. And hot.
Summer Of Hush is gripping, with the right balance between serious issues and fun.
Recommended.
Krish and Silas, firstly love the names and lqike that its heavy metal not just rock! This story is cute, quirky and the right mix of drama, friends and couple time!
The meet cute and the build up is well written and the story and characters are believable.
Looking forward to reading more about the boys from Hush.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
This angsty rock star romance played hard on my emotions while also celebrating the heady, youthful joy of summer music festivals. It’s a romance but also a story about a band rebuilding after a tragic loss and a young music journalist finding his place in a difficult industry. I loved Krish and Silas and I loved Hush as a band.
Krish and Silas are both addictive characters. As a famous rock star and an equally famous but anonymous blogger, I love the vulnerability these two bring out in each other and I love the way they make each other stronger. The fact that they are fans of each other before they even meet brings a sense of fate or kismet to the relationship. It’s an insta-love relationship that readers can believe in because there’s already a lengthy shared history between them.
While I love Krish and Silas, I did struggle some with the inflated conflicts that come between them. For two relaxed metalheads, the angst is a little much. I still don’t understand how Krish’s identity revelation caused such an issue with Silas and I still don’t quite get why Krish runs away. I think part of the problem is the insta-love hookup at the very start of the book. Without some concocted drama, there wouldn’t have been enough story for the rest of the book. The pacing is the weakest element of this story. The beginning is fun and exciting but the story limps to the end. However, I loved the adulting/coming of age elements of the book as Krish attempts to find his place in the music industry and Silas starts to think about his future. However, I do think that more time could have been spent developing these threads rather than inventing angsty drama between two otherwise chilled characters.
Oddly, this feels like the third or fourth book in a series instead of the first. With all the references to previous events, I actually had to check Goodreads to see if I’ve somehow missed a few books. I haven’t. This is the start of a series that starts well before the start of this first book. It’s all a bit confusing. Maybe we’ll get a few prelude stories?
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
What I Think: I love it when books take me to new places. In this case, seeing The Guru’s love of metal made me go seek it out to find out if it’s my kind of jam or not. And I got a new appreciation for what it entails. The rush of meeting a star that you’ve been crushing on is so relatable and real here, made even more mind-blowing by the star having a crush back on you (cue high-pitched scream).
Not to mention that this tale brought all my Indian kinks rushing back. The food, the fashion, the gorgeous skin that runs through the whole spectrum of shades of color… But I digress.
Silas is mentally and physically strong and so bold. The Guru gives the feeling 0f being made up of pure passion and emotion and I just can’t help thinking I want to see them both in lust and in love, mentally and physically unraveled and undone. I found myself wishing the truth could come earlier as I had to live with this Sword Of Damocles hanging over my head.
Even though only one side truly knows who the other is, the attraction between them is just so cute and smooth, flowing naturally like they’ve known each other for eons. A classic case of who Wan die Don jam who go kill am (the person seeking death has found the person that will deliver it) because that very first cuddle? Freaking slew me. Silas needs someone like the Guru so damn bad that I’m restless as I keep my fingers crossed, waiting for trouble to descend with bate breath. There’s been so much pain in both their lives that I need this part to not have pain. Some angst, yes, but no pain.
Watching the Guru struggle with not being out before he’s ready is like watching my personal nightmare unfold. The truth finally comes out only for horror to eclipse it and the sadness that came with it wasn’t the teary type. It was the type that made me want to curl up in bed and just hide. The rawness, the pain, the truth of how the stars have to hide from being hunted by paparazzi, having to contend with this even when their worlds crash. It reminded me of all the reasons I almost gave up on my dream to be an author and I just wanted to curl up somewhere dark with nothing but my vintage Playlist. Also, add the fact the Guru is a blogger and this tale became so effing personal.
Thankfully, and I’m so grateful, the Authoress gives us even more sugar, soothing me until I could smile again only for her to mischievously withhold some vital information: what was the tattoo and where was the piercing? These are the things I need to know!
Verdict? A sweet tale about meeting your crush, having them want you back just as bad and the journey to happy ever after!
This is an amazing story. Easy to read (though, to be honest, I didn’t get all the rock metal references). But even with that, it was still a great story.
Krish—aka The Guru—is a music blogger. He’s been writing his blog anonymously for six years and has millions of followers, including Silas, leader of the band Hush. Krish gets the chance to go on the Warped Tour (this is a real thing, I discovered. A tour for multiple bands that started in 1995) and gets to meet his idol, Silas. There are instant sparks between Silas and Krish, but also too many secrets. When Krish does come out as The Guru, some of the band members don’t take it well. They’ve been burned by journalists and keeping his identity secret doesn’t sit well with them.
There are accidents, fights, making up, making out, and more as the fates try to keep Krish and Silas apart, but also keep throwing them back together. As in most romances, it all works out in the end with a HEA that satisfies.
What I liked: The mixture of reality (the real tour) and imagination (not a real band) kept the story on the believable side. The characters were well drawn, making them feel like you could go meet them. The settings—on the bus with the band and all the things that go with cramming a bunch of young men into a bus for long periods of time. The diversity of the characters.
What I didn’t like: Honestly? Nothing. This is a well-written, believable romance that ends in a HEA that satisfies.
Recommendation: A good read for anyone who likes M/M romances. You don’t even need to understand the music scene to “get” this book. A definite recommend.
Thanks to the publisher for providing this free ARC in return for an honest review.
Rockstar romance stories were always my favorites so I had a lot of expectations. Glad to say they were met! Summer of Hush is a great, complicated story full of angst and difficult emotions. The MCs and their surroundings are complex and developing in a captivating way.
The plot twists the author served made sure I was into the story 100% all the time. And the side characters? They promise more stories to come and I can’t wait!
The queen of rock and roll romance rules again, with another heartfelt tale of complex heroes whose epic love is destined to be. With Silas and Krish both recovering from the heartbreak of losing their best friends, they’re looking toward the Warped Tour for fresh starts and the healing of their scabbed-over wounds.
“Summer of Hush” is secret identity meets secret crush meets mutual hero worship, all rolled up in one. The sweet, pulsing rhythm of the music enhances every scene and deep, emotional undercurrents–Merrill’s trademark–always strike the right chord. Five stars.
A love story between a blogger and a rock star! This was a completely new setting for me – bus tours, tents, bon fires and many creative volatile people who gathered together one last time to perform at Warped Summer Festival. This is a story about forging an unbreakable bond through music and words, about falling in love with what’s inside the person before even meeting them.
I loved both MCs – Krish and Silas. They might have come from different backgrounds but they have a lot in common. They both suffered loss and are finally ready to live to the fullest. Krish is a voice that resonates with many, his presence is like an anchor to Silas’s emotional and creative persona. Together they just fit and get one another on the level that not many do – they speak and breath music, and that cements what they have as something special to be cherished. They were there for each other for years unknowingly, and now they will be able to to be so much more.
I enjoyed Silas’s band mates – it’s a smorgasbord of temperamental, talented, at times wild personalities who are passionate about their craft and the music they create. Everyday whirlwind of living as a rock star gets to all of them, and it’s fascinating to discover how they deal with it all as well as each other. There was fun and romance, angst and misunderstandings, excitement and joy in celebrating music as well as two men falling in love. I enjoyed this book a lot. This is a new to me author, and I will definitely be checking out what else she has to offer. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
Blogger and rockstar romance! This is a really good book and while I’ve read a lot of rockstar romances, I’ve never read one about a blogger before. I loved Krish and Silas together. They had a connection even before they’d met each other. Very beautiful first meeting too. They’re very cute together.
The first time I read the blurb, I’d thought Krish might have been from South India, maybe even Kerala(The Guruvayoor Temple is located here). But no, he’s from the North and also speaks Hindi.(I was sort of excited that he might be from South)
This book also gives a lot of importance to the brotherhood between the band and I loved the camaraderie between the members. I’m looking forward to Brains and Paul’s book. Hopefully we’ll get one soon. I hope Jake, Krish’s best friend, gets a book too.
*ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Summer of Hush by R.L. Merrill is a contemporary m/m romance and I definitely hope more books come out surrounding this band, these characters. Because I’m hooked on Hush.
The love story is between a rock star and a blogger and the friendship love story of a band of “brothers”. Because even though I loved the romance aspect of this tale, the beauty of these band brothers is something to appreciate and smile about. As for Krish and Silas, they had a connection even before meeting that helped them through bad tines. Their meetcute and cuddle sessions were super sweet and then they got steamy too. The story had a little angst just to add spice, lots of feeling and a great dose of humor. Overall, this is a fun read that made me want even more.
4.5/5 Stars Great characters, Warped Tour backdrop, secret crushes…what more do you need for a great read.
Silas and the band Hush are back on the road after losing one of their bandmates two years before. Silas wants to meet the mysterious Guru, who is a music blogger. Guru has an internship on the Warped Tour. He becomes Krish the intern. The two have an amazingly instant chemistry that is off the charts. I loved all the bandmate personalities! This a great start to a new series, absolutely loved it!! I am voluntarily leaving a review form an ARC that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
This book was so interesting I couldn’t put it down.
Krishnan Guruvayooor is an anonymous blogger he has been blogging for the rock scene for a long time.
Silas Franklin is the lead singer and guitarist in the rock band Hush a metal band.
A fast paced book beautifully written , it shows the desires of two young men and their story which holds sadness and then so much hope..
The band which seem more like brothers, play a huge part in this book .
Showing us the reader what can happen when bands tour, their schedule which can be hectic , how they live and I really enjoyed every word written.
Every character has a lot to say and hopefully in a book of their own.
First time author – absolutely adored this book ..